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Link to YFC paid subscription resources.

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MaD Ministries : Making a Difference. Made in Scotland.

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Scottish Christian Youth and Children’s ministry, headed up by Youth Pastor Brian Lowrie.

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We just released a FREE youth group lesson based on Bishop Budde's homily at Presidents Trumps National Prayer Service. It also comes with a free coloring page that you can use to color and send to Bishop Budde to show her your support and encouragement!

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Bishop Budde’s Plea for Mercy and a Call to Action

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Bishop Budde’s plea for mercy and unity at inaugural prayer service. Get a free youth group lesson and support Bishop Budde’s witness.

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THIS PACK
COULD CHANGE
THE FUTURE
OF YOUR CHURCH

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This resource is designed to equip us to see what God’s power can do in our lives, communities and across the nation when we pray. We believe that partnering with God is about listening to Him, seeking His will, following His plan and being open to whatever and wherever He may lead us. If your heart is to see young people in your community come to know Jesus then this resource is for you.

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Welcome to our channel, dedicated to equipping and inspiring those passionate about youth and children's ministry!

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Welcome to our channel, dedicated to equipping and inspiring those passionate about youth and children’s ministry! In partnership with Ridley Hall and the Church of England, we release weekly videos designed to answer your pressing “how-to” questions, offering practical tools, creative ideas, and Biblical insights. Whether you’re a church leader, volunteer, or simply interested in learning, you’ll find valuable content here to support and grow your ministry. Subscribe now to stay updated on each new release over the next 8 months! For more information on HowYC and our partners visit www.howyc.co

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Using Taylor Swift songs and lyrics for devotions and Bible study

If you have a TV or young teen, you know who Taylor Swift is. And if you teach young people, then you have undoubtedly heard them talk about her and maybe even sing her songs. If not, I encourage you to ask your kids and listen to a couple of her songs on your favorite music service -- because she is what many kids are listening to these days.
M-A-N-Y.
She's the current reigning popstar and an icon to millions of young people, especially young girls. Her songs are all over the radio, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iTunes, Alexa, and especially Tik Tok. She's won multiple Grammys. And her billion-dollar "Eras" Tour was the talk of 2023.

"Swifties" come in all colors, sizes, and genders. My ten-year-old grand-daughter and her mom, along with several of her friends and their moms went to the Swift concert in Cincinnati last year. And as the following video shows, teenage boys are listening too.

Boo-Hoo! Predictably, some in the Church have come out against her -- like they did against the Beatles, Elvis, Frank Sinatra (the younger Frank), Motown, and Swing. You name it - they hated it. But many of us see her popularity and her fan's devoted familiarity with her lyrics as an opportunity to do some teaching.

This video news report shows teens at a "Tuesday Mornings With Taylor" Bible Study.

Example from the video's Tuesday with Taylor Bible Study: Swift has a song lyric about "the Heartbreak Prince." The Bible study group compared that reference to a quote from Isaiah 9:6, which says, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Swift's lyrics are famously about growing up, dealing with relationships, persevering, and being your own person. More often than not, they confess her mistakes and insecurities (think: "I'm the problem it's me"). Some are mature, but many are older-kid and youth friendly. Some are on-target, and some need some biblical perspective. Teachers of children and youth often teach BY CONTRASTING pop and cultural messages with the message of Jesus, and the only thing different here is that the kids can quote the message we need to talk about!

In the 5th Century, Saint Augustine wrote that "All truth is God's truth." Having heard my fair share of Swift tunes (several of my family members are big Swift fans), I can honestly say, "she speaks the truth" much of the time -- as an older male, it's just not in words and experiences I'm used to hearing or talking about. But that didn't stop the disciples at Pentecost did it. As teachers, we are always challenged to speak the Good News in the LANGUAGE OF THE HEARER, not our own.

Discussing pop song lyrics in relation to Bible stories and verses is a teaching technique that goes back to the 60's and 70's. And though it started with youth and youth groups, it's a good technique for engaging older children too, in part, because older kids are much "older" than we were back then, and they have greater access to their own music these days due to the proliferation of cellphones, music on the internet and music services.

As usual, you can find the complete lyrics to any song at one of many online lyric resources, such as https://www.lyrics.com/ or https://genius.com/artists/Taylor-swift **I don't endorse all her lyrics or points of view. Some lyrics use words many would find offensive (but many kids won't or are used to). I would avoid them, but if they come up, it's an opportunity to address that issue too.

Here are a couple of other links to Taylor Swift Bible Study resources:

Decoding the Religious Messages in Taylor Swift Songs -- this article has a list of 7 Swift song lyrics that could be discussed. It also tries to examine "what Taylor Swift believes" in terms of her faith. Interesting discussion fodder about someone many of our student idolize.

7 Things Christians Can Learn from the Taylor Swift Eras Tour -- this article by an M.Div student received some bad press by conservation who read the Gospel Coalition's blog. I thought it was provocative. It shines a light on the joy and promotion of self-esteem (particularly among young girls) that Swift espouses, and looks at Christian parallels. It describes the joyous devotion of her fans and suggests we are made that way to seek the only ONE who can perfectly fulfill us. Sadly, the editors removed it, but nothing ever really dies on the internet and you can read it here at web.archive.org

This pastor and self-proclaimed "Swiftie" from the Crossroads Church movement gets it. Here's his breakdown of four principles that "Tay-Tay" reminds us of. 1) Pain can be a path forward (lyric: "If you never bleed you're never gonna grow." 2) Vulnerability is a superpower. 3) The rewards go to the risk-takers ("play stupid games, win stupid prizes"). 4) It takes hard work. ("I've never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try." Shake it off') His article has Bible verses.

A British Pastor writes an article titled, "What I learned about Jesus from Taylor Swift."

He start by writing this: Anti-Hero, her Grammy-winning song, begins with the lyric: "I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser." It's a surprising way to start a pop song. The chorus is even more pointedly honest: "It's me, hi. I'm the problem, it's me."

Lyrics about self-limitation and culpability don't usually appear in hit singles. We are more accustomed to the crooning of unabashed pride or lists of accomplishments. "I did it my waaaay." But Swift's song cuts through the radio noise and feels more like a confessional than a promotional.

Dallas Seminary student Sarah Griffith posted 5 scripture-based devotions riffing off of Taylor's lyrics. Check them out at Patheos: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/...taylor-swift-lyrics/

Writes Griffith, "Believers or not, God can use what he has created to point people to him and teach the truth." And, "As a believer, my spirit grabs these lyrics and presents them before the throne of God. They help me sing (about) a situation (where someone is hurt) ...and celebrate or just cry when I need to."
Whether by Paul or Apollos or Peter or Taylor...

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Re: Post Your Sunday School Resource and Product "Finds" Here!

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Using Taylor Swift songs and lyrics for devotions and Bible study If you have a TV or young teen, you know who Taylor Swift is. And if you teach young people, then you have undoubtedly heard them talk about her and maybe even sing her songs.

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The aims of The Eric Liddell 100 are being delivered through 3 workstreams: educational, sporting & physical activity, and cultural. If you would like to support the delivery of our plans, please donate or get in touch to find out more.

Explore our Workstreams

Educational
Workstream

Development of physical and online resources to support learning in schools, universities, and adult learning.

Sporting & Physical
Activity Workstream

Promoting the legacy of Eric Liddell's sporting success through participation & competition across multiple disciplines.

Cultural
Workstream

The creation of an Eric Liddell Exhibition and other cultural celebrations in keeping with his legacy.

Educational Workstream

The educational workstream will deliver physical and online resources to support learning in schools, universities, and adult learning.

The aims of the educational workstream are to:

To raise the profile, knowledge and understanding of Eric Liddell.

To educate on the importance of the Eric Liddell 100 values, passion, compassion and integrity.

To provide an inclusive, fun, engaging, positive and memorable experience for pupils/ adult learners.

This work is being led by the Educational Working Group, which brings together people with relevant skills, experience and influence including partners from schools, universities, local authorities, government and sporting organisations.

There are two main developments being taken forward by the Educational Workstream:

Educational Resource for Schools - includes an introductory film and a suite of lesson plans and supporting materials covering a wide range of subject areas, linked to the life and values of Eric Liddell (available from January 2024).

Online Learning Resource for Adults - this freely available online course explores many aspects of Eric's life and considers how his values and story are relevant to today's society (available from October 2023).

We hope you enjoy exploring the resources and learning more about Eric Liddell. We value any feedback you have on the resources above, please do get in touch and let us know what you think.

The learning resources are available at no charge, but if you would like to donate to support the work of The Eric Liddell 100, please consider donating here.

Sporting Workstream

Partners working in sports/physical activity at elite, national, international, university, schools, clubs and community levels, are working with us to develop a programme of events in 2023/24 and beyond which will incorporate Eric Liddell in various ways.

We are inviting sports clubs, organisations and schools to get involved by hosting Eric Liddell inspired sporting events. This could include, for example, the renaming of existing sports days and events as "The Eric Liddell Games". We are developing resource packs with information and suggestions for how Eric's story and values can be brought to life and incorporated into existing or new activities.

If you are involved in a sporting event which you would like to link with The Eric Liddell 100, please get in touch for further information.

Cultural Workstream

The following plans are being taken forward within the cultural workstream:

The Eric Liddell Exhibition

We are working with cultural sector experts to develop a touring exhibition about Eric Liddell. The exhibition will use a range of mediums to connect with audience s of different ages and will contain physical artefacts, images, text and digital content. Venues are being considered and plans developed for touring in Scotland, Europe, China and Hong Kong.

Eric Liddell Tartan

With the kind support of Kinloch Anderson kiltmakers, an Eric Liddell tartan has been designed and registered. The design was inspired by details from Eric's life and the Liddell family were involved in selecting the final design.

The design takes inspiration from elements of the Dalziel tartan (connected to the Liddell name). The numbers 100 and 24 are included in the threadcount to reference the centenary of his 1924 Olympic success. Colours: yellow, representing gold, represents his gold medal; blue is for Scotland; navy blue for Scottish Rugby & Edinburgh University; red for China; green is intended to represent his family holidays at Carcant & his love of field sports and grey is intended to represent the pain of separation, internment & loss in his life.

For further information see The Scottish Register of Tartans
Eric Liddell 100 Statue

We are working with renowned sculptor Amelia Rowcroft to develop proposals for an Eric Liddell memorial statue.

The creation of a maquette (scale model) and bust are part of the design process for making a statue and help the visualisation of the finished piece. Again, we are delighted to have been able to consult with the Liddell family in the design to ensure an accurate resemblance to Eric.

Interfaith Developments

In addition to the plans being taken forward via the three main workstream areas, we are also working with partners from faith and interfaith organisations and communities to consider events and activities that they might lead on to help secure and celebrate Eric Liddell's legacy. We have had a good response from a wide range of organisations at a local, national and international level, who we are now working with to develop plans, including an Eric Liddell interfaith celebration at St Giles Cathedral in the summer of 2024.

If you would like to find out more about any of our proposed cultural developments or make a donation to support our plans, please use the links below.

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Eric Liddell 100 Workstreams - The Eric Liddell Community

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The Eric Liddell Community is an Edinburgh based care charity and community hub committed to our vision to live in a community where no one feels lonely or isolated.

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SHINE is a 3-week video resource designed to equip Chirstian young people to live for God at School and provide opportunities for others to explore the Christian faith for themselves.

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SHINE is a 3-week video resource designed to equip Chirstian young people to live for God at School and provide opportunities for others to explore the Christian faith for themselves. SHINE is a partnership between Crown Jesus Ministries, Scripture Union NI, Logos Ministries International, Scripture Union England and Wales, Scripture Union Ireland and Scripture Union Scotland. A new 3-part film series is produced each year, focused on a different theme. This year the theme of SHINE is ' Known.'

What age is SHINE appropriate for?

How do I run SHINE in my group?

What if my group are not Christians?

What do young people think of this resource?

One pupil described running Shine and said that one of the difficulties they faced was "managing the number of students and finding a space big enough!"

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SHINE is a 3-week video resource designed to equip Chirstian young people to live for God at School and provide opportunities for others to explore the Christian faith for themselves. SHINE is a partnership between Crown Jesus Ministries, Scripture Union NI, Logos Ministries International, Scripture Union England and Wales, Scripture Union Ireland and Scripture Union Scotland.

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Lutheran Church Australia: Grow Ministries exists because as a team we are compelled to share the gospel with eternity in mind. We are passionate about growing our own personal faith journey in relationship with God and others. Deuteronomy 6 and Matthew 28 are the foundation and motivation of our work together.

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Turn a Jenga™ set into a fun discussion game for ages 11 and up! Explore the foundational beliefs, values and relationships that young people build their lives upon and how Christian faith can make a difference. (Jenga™ tower not included)

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Building big conversations!

Youthscape Bricks builds on the popular tower-based tension of Jenga™ to make space for fun and rich conversations.

Big conversations - about life, faith, values, hopes and priorities - can be transformative in the lives of young people and we wanted to create the space and opportunity for those conversations to take place. The result is 54 questions that are guaranteed to get young people laughing, thinking and talking. The questions are split into three general categories - faith, values, and friendships/relationships - supporting the overall theme of foundations. The questions come in the form of removable labels that you simply apply to your Jenga™ bricks. You play the game as normal but as each brick (and question) is removed, the individual playing follows the instruction on the sticker - either answering the question themselves, choosing someone else to answer, or discussing the question with the whole group. The game continues until the tower is knocked down!

Youthscape Bricks is designed to work in church and community youth groups or schools. You can use the game in 1-2-1 mentoring sessions and in both small or large groups. So why not get involved and get your group talking - as a special offer postage (usually £3) is FREE for Youthscape Bricks!

Please note: This resource supplies the stickers for Youthscape Bricks, but before playing this game with young people, y ou'll need your own copy of Jenga™ or other tumbling tower game. We have designed the stickers to fit neatly onto a genuine Hasbro Jenga™ set with bricks that measure 1.5 × 2.5 × 7.5 cm (0.59 × 0.98 × 3.0 in). As sizes vary between manufacturers, you will need to make sure that the bricks of your game are the right size to fit the Youthscape Bricks labels (labels measure 7.2 x 2.1cm).

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Youthscape Bricks builds on the popular tower-based tension of Jenga™ to make space for fun and rich conversations. Big conversations - about life, faith, values, hopes and priorities - can be transformative in the lives of young people and we wanted to create the space and opportunity for those conversations to take place.

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Resources including D.E.C.K cards:

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The information and resources on this site are freely available for anyone interested in providing an alternative Sunday School experience for 5-19 year olds with special needs.

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Aslan - Where all special needs children are loved and nurtured

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At Tonbridge Baptist Church, we have been running an Aslan group since 2013 and I love being part of this ministry. My prayer is that many other similar groups will be set up so that whole families can benefit from belonging to churches that offer opportunities for each member to grow in their understanding of the love of God and what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

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How to grow the number of children and young people in the churches.

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How do we grow the number of children and young people in our churches? | Growth Research

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We publish faithful, creative and effective Bible teaching material for children’s and youth ministries.

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Our comprehensive range of material covers the
entire 18-month to 18-year age range

Subscribe to an affordable plan to receive unlimited access to our teaching material

7-day free trial

Access to hundreds of lessons *

Language updates included

Share material with your team

Cancel anytime with no hassle

* Share or print up to 20 lessons every 30 days on the monthly plan or 40 lessons every 30 days on the yearly plan.

Subscribe to free trial

We offer 2 months free for organisations who subscribe to an annual plan.
Annual prices are £100, £150 or £200, respectively.

Choose from over 40 series, covering Old & New Testament

Hassle-free access, giving you more time to pray, prepare and teach

We believe it's vital to teach the Bible accurately to children, being careful to teach each passage's true meaning.

Register

Our online material has been translated into 12 different languages, including Arabic, French and Italian.
Over 150 lessons have been translated so far, with more to come from our growing team of reliable translators.

Since 1993 TnT Ministries has been resourcing and equipping people to teach the Bible to children and teenagers more faithfully, more creatively and more effectively.

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Our comprehensive range of material covers the entire 18-month to 18-year age range Subscribe to an affordable plan to receive unlimited access to our teaching material 7-day free trial Access to hundreds of lessons * Language updates included Share material with your team Cancel anytime with no hassle * Share or print up to 20 lessons every 30 days on the monthly plan or 40 lessons every 30 days on the yearly plan.

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YouthScape: An eight session cookery programme that facilitates healthy and meaningful relationships amongst young people and helps them overcome social isolation and loneliness

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Young people are more connected than ever - but so many of them struggle with feelings of loneliness and lack confidence to make friends. Here's a new resource from Youthscape that any youth leader can run for your existing youth group or offer to young people in your local community or school.
Open House is a fun, engaging cookery programme that facilitates meaningful relationships amongst a group of young people. Over eight sessions they will learn how to cook a range of different dishes, be encouraged to reflect upon and build healthy friendships, grow in confidence and social skills, and have the opportunity to use all they have learnt to host a meal for others.

This programme has been developed by Youthscape in Luton over the past four years and has been run with over 400 young people in different formats. It was developed to help young people who are lonely and isolated or who feel like they don't fit in. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has also developed into a resource that can help facilitate reconnection and deeper friendships within all young people's lives.

As a youth leader you'll need to have a reasonable size kitchen space and borrow some extra pots and pans if needed and have the ingredients ready. The eight cookery sessions are recoded on video so they're easy to follow whatever your cooking skills. Plus there are detailed outlines for each session to run activities that help explore the eight 'ingredients' of a healthy relationship:

Each session equips young people with the tools to develop these 'ingredients' in all their relationships, whilst also creating an environment where they can be practised as the group learns to cook together. The programme has been designed so that it can be run in both faith and non-faith based contexts. For more information on running Open House in a Christian context check this blog post.

The resource comes with a Leaders Guide and access to all the video materials, plus 5 Workbooks for the young people taking part. You can buy additional Workbooks as you need them.

At a time when young people's mental health is facing so many challenges, Open House is a really practical way to offer support in a non-threatening and fun context. Try it out with your youth group first and then think about how this resource could connect you with young people across your community!

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Young people are more connected than ever - but so many of them struggle with feelings of loneliness and lack confidence to make friends. Here's a new resource from Youthscape that any youth leader can run for your existing youth group or offer to young people in your local community or school.

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Christians in Sport is a movement of sportspeople who love Jesus and love sport.

Christians in Sport is a movement of sportspeople who love Jesus and love sport.

CONNECTING
SPORTSPEOPLE TOGETHER
SPORT AND FAITH
SPORTSPEOPLE TO JESUS

CONNECTING
SPORTSPEOPLE TOGETHER
SPORT AND FAITH
SPORTSPEOPLE TO JESUS

Join a network

Sport at each level brings with it unique pressures. Connect with your peers and journey together.

Game Day

Connect your sport and faith together each. game day. Get your free weekly devotion for sportspeople.

How do sport and faith fit together?

Essentials

How is playing my sport different as a Christian?

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We'll email a few times a month with the best of our resources and relevant news, events and campaigns. You can unsubscribe from these emails at any time.

It's not coming home

A Psalm for the hurting

How can I be competitive in a godly way?

Essentials

Some of us change so much when we compete that we worry that we shouldn't compete at all. How can we compete in a godly way in our sport?

Why church is so important

Three reasons the local church is so good for sportspeople.

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We exist to reach the world of sport for Christ.

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We use necessary cookies to make our site work. Christians in Sport is a movement of sportspeople who love Jesus and love sport. Christians in Sport is a movement of sportspeople who love Jesus and love sport.

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Paid resource

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Youth Ministry Curriculum | Children's and Adult Small Groups

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Children's, Adults' and Youth ministry curriculums will help you to save lots of time! Find out new activities, videos, images, object lessons, and more!

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Church of Ireland - Board of Ministry with Children and Families

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Church of Ireland - Board of Ministry with Children and Families

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Resource website

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This is Yetti: seven games about life, faith, and the occasional dog on a skateboard.

Using topic and image cards, questions, captions, and prompts, Yetti covers a whole range of themes, from superheroes and climate change, to dating, and time-travel. The wonder of Yetti is that it isn’t just a fun game to provide everyone a ‘jolly good’ time, but also a resource that can be used to connect with God, wherever young people may be in their faith.

Take Yetti to the park, the local fast-food joint, to church or your Nan’s garden. Flexible like an Olympic gymnast, Yetti morphs to be the game you need.

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Go Chatter Videos & The Bible Society

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Licence Agreement

Ministry use licence

By purchasing this video, you are purchasing a license to use and show this video as part of your ministry in ONE church.

You are granted permission to use the video in:

1) Offline services, school assemblies or lessons, groups or at events (including youth, kids and midweek groups and events)

2) Online services or assemblies that are streamed or pre-recorded. (For online services, the content video you have purchased should be part of a complete church service which must be at least 20 minutes long.)

3) Online small groups meeting over Zoom or a similar video call platforms.

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Bible Course for Groups by Bible Society

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By purchasing this video, you are purchasing a license to use and show this video as part of your ministry in ONE church. You are granted permission to use the video in: 1) Offline services, school assemblies or lessons, groups or at events (including youth, kids and midweek groups and events) 2) Online services or assemblies that are streamed or pre-recorded.

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Origins Course - 24-7 Prayer International 

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Origins Course - 24-7 Prayer International 

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Origins is a youth prayer course which helps young people to explore the basics of how to pray.
With an easy-to-access PDF leader guide and accompanying video sessions , Origins has been fully revised with new content, practical ideas and reflective teaching.

Origins will help young people to learn about prayer, how to pray and develop regular prayer habits , individually and as a group.

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Origins Course - 24-7 Prayer International

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Origins is a youth prayer course which helps young people to explore the basics of how to pray. With an easy-to-access PDF leader guide and accompanying video sessions , Origins has been fully revised with new content, practical ideas and reflective teaching.

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Blessing Backpacks resource

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"We thank you for this new beginning, for new books and new ideas. We thank you for sharpened pencils, pointy crayons, and crisp blank pages waiting to be filled."

Back to School
It's that time of year again. Teachers have returned to freshen up classrooms and families are stocking up on the school supply list that was received during the summer . . . crayons, markers, rulers, boxes of tissues, calculators, pencils, pens, notebooks and paper. For many, mid-August is the time when the school doors reopen and the yellow school bus can be seen on local roads in the morning. For others, Labor Day means the time to head back to school.

Blessing Backpacks in Church
Many churches have begun the practice of "Blessing Backpacks" as a way to send our children off with prayers for a safe and successful year of learning. These blessings can occur at any time of the church service: announcement time, during the prayers of the people, at dismissal time.

Invite all the children to come to the front of the sanctuary with their backpacks. Depending on how many children you have, you may wish to recognize each child or grade level. You may wish to give them a small sacred token to keep in their backpack. Some ideas:

Blessing Prayer
Here is a prayer, written by Wendy Claire Barrie,Director of Children, Youth & Family Ministries at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in New York City. This is part of the Skiturgies collection.
God of Wisdom, we give you thanks for schools and classrooms and for the teachers and students who fill them each day. We thank you for this new beginning, for new books and new ideas. We thank you for sharpened pencils, pointy crayons, and crisp blank pages waiting to be filled. We thank you for the gift of making mistakes and trying again. Help us to remember that asking the right questions is often as important as giving the right answers. Today we give you thanks for these your children, and we ask you to bless them with curiosity, understanding and respect. May their backpacks be a sign to them that they have everything they need to learn and grow this year in school and in Sunday School. May they be guided by your love. All this we ask in the name of Jesus, who as a child in the temple showed his longing to learn about you, and as an adult taught by story and example your great love for us. Amen. Sharon Ely Pearson is a 30+ year Christian formation veteran, currently serving as an editor and the Christian Formation Specialist for Church Publishing Incorporated. Wife, mother, soon-to-be-grandmother, and author, she enjoys connecting people with each other and the resources they need for growing in the knowledge and love of Jesus. Did you enjoy this article? Consider subscribing to Building Faith and get every new post by email. It's free and always will be. Subscribe to Building Faith.

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Blessing Backpacks: Prayer and Resources

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"We thank you for this new beginning, for new books and new ideas. We thank you for sharpened pencils, pointy crayons, and crisp blank pages waiting to be filled." Back to School It's that time of year again. Teachers have returned to freshen up classrooms and families are stocking up on the school supply list that was received during the summer .

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Free to use resources

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‘Full Armour’ is a short film produced by Out of the Box (Scotland) Ltd, set in 90AD during the reign of the Roman Emperor, Domitian.

Full Armour Family Series

A fun, 5 episode, resource for families to use at home, based around the Armour of God.

This series will give you an opportunity to explore the Bible together as a family and find out about what it means to be a follower of Jesus today.

Honkey and Trek Family Series

Join Chris, Carol and Bob for this 4 episode series full of fun, songs, crafts, stories and lots more.

A fun, 5 episode, interactive resource which explores the Fruits of the Spirit using songs, challenges, puppets, and lots more.

In partnership with Scripture Union Scotland, this resource, which is fun and interactive, will help those moving up to Secondary School consider some of the changes, challenges and choices they might face

A collection of parodies made with a number of our cool puppets. Puppet Parody Music used with permission.Music Parody Copyright: Creative Ministry Solutions.

Purchased from www.onewayuk.com

A collection of Christmas parodies made with a number of our cool puppets. Puppet Parody Music used with permission. Music Parody Copyright: Creative Ministry Solutions.

Purchased from www.onewayuk.com

A collection of Easter parodies made with a number of our cool puppets. Puppet Parody Music used with permission. Music Parody Copyright: Creative Ministry Solutions.

Purchased from www.onewayuk.com

Lockdown Stories from the Bible

A collection of stories exploring characters from the Bible who experienced being in lockdown.

A brand new, hilarious, 4 episode Christmas series for all the family!

Our latest, 4 episode, online family series investigating Easter. Resource material available too.

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Back on Track is a two-hour session that combines faith and sport, giving children and young people the opportunity to exercise at a fun and organised event, while also being invited to find out more about God.

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Search all resources

Back on Track is a two-hour session that combines faith and sport, giving children and young people the opportunity to exercise at a fun and organised event, while also being invited to find out more about God.

Watch the video below to find out more.

Download the PDF for instructions plus links to lots more videos to help you run your event.

Details

Content type:

Resource (free)

The 95 block

Together, we can reach the 95% of children and young people not in church

Join us

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Back on Track is a two-hour session that combines faith and sport, giving children and young people the opportunity to exercise at a fun and organised event, while also being invited to find out more about God. Watch the video below to find out more.

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Resources for youth ministry from Church of England.

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Transformation for children, young people and the Church

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Partnering with you to see kids grow up to live inspiring lives, rooted in Jesus.
Access to a limited number of free resources, or a subscription option to access all of them. It brings together a number of UK and USA resource providers, and and offers loads of curriculum, media and downloadable resources.

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We believe that God is already at work in the lives of children, inviting them to know Him and the dynamic love he has for them. As kids and youth leaders, you get to be at the beginning of the discipleship journey with them.

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Justice X Together is a brand new, four-part series designed to help you explore injustice with your youth group, equipping them to be part of the solution. The programme provides opportunities to practically take action and discuss what it means to live a just life.

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We are Tearfund is a community of game-changers. Justice X Together aims to make the world a more just place by revealing how God intended it to be. We journey together towards justice within our spheres of influence.

This new course contains four sessions:

Session One
Unpacking Social Inequality: "Are we for the richer or the poorer?"
Poverty impacts people in many different ways. Whatever way it is, it robs people of living life to the fullest.

God's love for us desires us to live in unity, together as one. This first session unpacks how poverty is not God's plan and what we can do about it.

Session Two
Unpacking Racial Injustice: "Is race an "us" problem?"
Racial injustice is nothing new under the sun. Treating someone differently because of the colour of their skin is something that has been happening for centuries - it has been ingrained into systems, societies and churches for far too long.

This session goes deeper into how racial injustice tears down God's image-bearers and is an issue we ALL have a role to play in.

Session Three
Unpacking Climate Injustice: "Are we burning down the house?"
Our world is dying. The temperature is increasing at too fast a rate. We're seeing injustice multiplied from increased poverty, social justice issues, inequality and climate refugees on the rise.

Tune into this session to hear how God's perspective keeps us hopeful.

Session Four
Unpacking Fast Fashion: "Can we slow down fast fashion?"
It's not wrong to love fashion and want to look good, but when people's human rights are at stake, we have to rethink our priorities. The fashion industry is one of five key industries most linked to modern slavery.

This session explores how we as Christians can make consumer choices that refuse to accept the status quo and ask for a new reality.

Justice X Together includes interactive videos, fun activities and lots of amazing speakers. You'll hear from Dot Tyler, Jack Wakefield, Peace Ashenafi, Philip Powell and Julian Morgan - to name a few.

Together they will walk you through a deeper understanding of global injustice, you will discover more practical ways of making a change from right where you are.

Let's do, justice together.

Register to download

Justice X Together is available to download now. Register below to instantly be taken to the resource download page.

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Justice X Together includes interactive videos, fun activities and lots of amazing speakers. You'll hear from Dot Tyler, Jack Wakefield, Peace Ashenafi, Philip Powell and Julian Morgan - to name a few. Together they will walk you through a deeper understanding of global injustice, you will discover more practical ways of making a change from [...]

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Additional Need Ministry - Urban Saints 

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Additional Need Ministry - Urban Saints 

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The aim of our Additional Needs Ministry is to encourage, enable and equip children's, youth and families' workers to reach, include, create belonging for, and disciple all children and young people, especially those with additional needs or disabilities.

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Urban Saints | Who is discipling our young people?

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Since 1906 Urban Saints (and formerly Crusaders) has been committed to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to thousands of children and young people across the UK and Ireland – primarily through the passion and commitment of tens of thousands of trained and resourced volunteers running outreach grou…

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Web-based discipleship resources for transforming young lives.

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Urban Saints | Who is discipling our young people?

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What is Energize?

Thousands of engaging and adaptable biblical sessions, training articles and support resources. Available for every leader and helper in your church or group.

You choose - Every group is different. You choose the topic, faith-level, style, age range, group size and venue - and we provide the session!

You grow - Articles, videos and courses help you grow in your role - building strong relationships, making disciples and equipping young leaders.

You save time - Games, activities, discussions and videos - ready in minutes and instantly shareable!

We help - Our friendly, experienced and dedicated team are on hand to help!

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Since 1906 Urban Saints (and formerly Crusaders) has been committed to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to thousands of children and young people across the UK and Ireland - primarily through the passion and commitment of tens of thousands of trained and resourced volunteers running outreach groups.

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3 keys to effective faith formation.

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The fable of the three trees is one I have used again and again in children's ministry. If you have never come across it have a read of the story [here].

It's been great for Easter holiday clubs, teaching up to Christmas in junior church and after school mid week activities (I've used it a lot!)

Lately, I've been adapting it for use in training sessions I've led with teachers on collective worship and youth ministry degree students exploring reflective practice.

At the heart of the story are three key questions that we should be asking as we engage with children and young people. I think these questions are critical if we want to be effective in faith formation and discipleship.

In the story, the first tree wants to be an amazing treasure chest - covered in rich jewels, gems and precious stones. To be a thing of beauty! However, the tree is cut down and turned in to a feeding trough. Later, after their long trek to Bethlehem Mary and Joseph lay their new born baby in the feeding trough and the tree realises he is holding the greatest treasure in the world!

As we work with children and young people what treasure do we want them to discover? We long for them to know Jesus - but key, I believe, for that to be meaningful, for that "knowing" to become deep, rich and real is that they discover Him. Treasure is not generally lying around for us to pick up - we have to work for it, look for it, dig it up, sift through the grime and rubble to get to something beautiful and precious and worth keeping, worth holding on to.

Do our children work for it - or is faith handed down in a "ready to go", "here is one I prepared earlier", "pre-packaged" kind of way?

Those following Jesus around when he walked the earth had to do a bit of work off the back of hearing a parable or story. Jesus seemed to prefer to probe the understanding of his disciples with questions rather than give them pat answers.

We most value treasure that we have had to work for. Yes, we have a free gift from God - but just how precious Jesus is - that is something our children need to discover for themselves.

Another question worth asking as we work with children and young people is "Well, what do they treasure?" Actually ask them this question! What is it they value, they dream about, they long for? How do we connect their lives that are full of "stuff" with the incomparable richness of knowing Jesus and being his friend?

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also
Matthew 6:21

There is a battle for their hearts and minds. In Matthew 13 Jesus talks about the Kingdom of Heaven being like "treasure in a field" - once discovered, it changes everything! Our desire, our hope our longing for our children should be that they discover the pearl of great price for themselves and treasure Jesus above all other things.

Finally - is Jesus our greatest treasure? As we seek to pass on to our children the stories of faith from our own lives how does Jesus feature? As we teach, train, encourage and equip children - are our eyes also on the prize? It is worth asking ourselves the questions we ask our children. Let's not take our eyes of Jesus, let's know the joy of our relationship with Him - if we have grown cold, weary, hardened, frustrated or cynical about our faith and life with God - how much harder it is to share it! Do you need to re-discover your first love?
Question 2. Strength.
In the story, the second tree wants to be a strong ocean going ship - carrying kings and queens on epic journeys, able to tackle anything with strength and courage. However, the tree is cut down and turned in to a little fishing boat - not strong enough to be on the sea, never mind traverse huge oceans - instead, it sits on a lake, dreaming about what might have been. Years later while out on the lake with a boat full of fishermen, a storm whips up and the little tree is almost ripped apart - until a man stands up in the boat and commands the waves and the wind to stop. Then the tree realises that it is holding the King of Kings.

As we work with children and young people where do they look for their strength? Who or what do they depend on? Where do they go for help? Who is always there when they are afraid? In so many ways the world would encourage our children and young people to trust in their own strength. To work hard to achieve, "you can't rely on anyone but yourself"

There is this absolutely fabulous scripture, it's just one verse really - right in the middle of God getting really cross with the people of Israel - they are trusting in the strength of their army, the might of their men, the speed of their horses . . . but, they have it all wrong,

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength
Isaiah 30:15

Then the damning bit, "but you would have none of it".

It can be hard to trust in God's strength and not our own, but what does Paul write?

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:9

That word power is "dynamis" in Greek - it's where we get the word dynamite! This reliance on God grows and builds faith as we see his power accomplish what we cannot! Our children and young people need to know this and see this in their own lives - by their own strength they cannot follow Jesus; by their own strength they cannot love like Jesus; by their own strength they cannot be obedient like Jesus.

We need to encourage a faith that relies on the strength given by the Holy Spirit, the power of the risen Jesus - it is this strength that will get our children and young people through.

Finally - Where do you get your strength from? Is your hope in the Lord or the strength of your own efforts? Do you put your trust in Him or in your ability, gifts, personality, popularity, role?

Or,

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him
Psalm 28:7
Question 3. Light.
In the story, the third tree wants to just stand where they are, grow tall and dominate the skyline. The tree wants people to look at them and think of God - wow, what a creator we must have just look at that tree! The tree though, like the others, was chopped down.

Years went by and the tree thought he was all but forgotten - until he was dragged from a shed, tied to a mans back and dragged up a hill. Here, the man was crucified on the tree. It would be three days before the tree realised that this was no ordinary man but was in fact the saviour of the world.

Now, when anyone looked at the tree - which had been made in to a cross - they would think of Jesus, the light of the world.

As we work with children and young people, what lights their way? There is much that shines, that glitters and draws attention - we live in an age of constant competition for money, commitment, loyalty, likes, followers . . . what lights the way for our children?

We do . . . or should.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven
Matthew 5:14-16

I think we can read this passage sometimes and apply it to the church. We think of the church as that "city on a hill" - but it is just one picture in this short couple of verses from Jesus. Our light - yours and mine - is also to give light "to the whole house". That's about family - yours and mine.

The primary place where the light of Christ should be lived, experienced and shared is the home.

How seriously do we take that?

Being a light to our own children. If our lives point to Christ, if our lives are lived for Christ, if our lives speak of Christ, if our actions honour Christ - what will the response be . . . glory to our Father in Heaven.

We cannot go out in to the world and seek to shine brightly there if we remain dim in our own homes.

Let's think about those three things as we encourage and nurture faith in our children and young people - How can we help them discover the treasure of knowing Jesus? How can we help them find their strength in His power and presence? How can we be a light in our homes that points our children to Christ?

May Jesus be their treasure, strength and light!

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3 Trees - 3 Keys to effective faith formation

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The fable of the three trees is one I have used again and again in children's ministry. If you have never come across it have a read of the story [here ]. It's been great for Easter holiday clubs, teaching up to Christmas in junior church and after school mid week activities (I've used it a lot!)

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We hope and pray that as you and your group use this material you will learn more about what it means to be a follower of Jesus and how that can impact and influence every area of your life.

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The All Terrain Podcast

Listen to the latest episode of The All Terrain Podcast, which is a new resource from the Youth and Children's Ministries team that tackles universal questions about life and everyday issues.

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Listen to the latest episode of The All Terrain Podcast, which is a new resource from the Youth and Children's Ministries team that tackles universal questions about life and everyday issues.

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Creating Letters for Creation resources for schools and church

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Could your pupils use their creative skills to develop a ‘think piece’ on the natural world and the importance of climate justice?

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A seven-part journey through the big story of the Bible for your whole church.

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There are similarities to The Bible Course, but this is a new resource for your whole church to experience the story of the Bible. We recommend hosting The Bible Series as a regular part of your Sunday programme (and mid-week small groups) and then using The Bible Course as a follow-up for those interested in understanding more about the Bible.

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The Bible Series: Experience a better story

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There are similarities to The Bible Course, but this is a new resource for your whole church to experience the story of the Bible. We recommend hosting The Bible Series as a regular part of your Sunday programme (and mid-week small groups) and then using The Bible Course as a follow-up for those interested in understanding more about the Bible.

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This page is to help resource you and your church to do youth work well in the online and in-person spaces. We have gathered the best missional youth work resources that can help you reach and empower young people missionally.

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This page is to help resource you and your church to do youth work well in the online and in-person spaces. We have gathered the best missional youth work resources that can help you reach and empower young people missionally.

The Way

Faith-filled Instagram + YouTube content 'direct to youth' that provides an entire younger generation in the UK with entertainment + discipleship to strengthen their faith and get them sharing Jesus with their friends. Instagram.com/thewayuk | youtube.com/thewaychannel

Intro Outro

This magazine-style YouTube channel, tackles the big questions in life and how we relate to God in them. There's fun, banter, and thought! It's a great tool for young people to send to their mates. YouTube: Intro Outro

Discover Bible App

A Bible App like no other. The aim is to read the Bible with friends; many have come to faith as a result. You can set up a WhatsApp group or Zoom call to read the Bible with a small group of young people and use the Discover App questions to discuss what you are reading. Find out more about the Discover Bible App website discoverapp.org @discoverAppDBS.

Alpha Youth Film Series

Alpha believes that everyone should have the chance to explore the Christian faith, ask questions and share their point of view. The series can be used as an evangelism tool when run by young people online with their non-Christian friends. www.alpha.org/alpha-youth-series

JAD 3:20 - Jesus At The Door

Is a cutting edge approach to evangelism that equips, empowers and enables believers to share the gospel with anyone. www.jesusatthedoor.com

Prayer Spaces in Schools

Prayer Spaces in Schools enable children and young people, of all faiths and none, to explore many life questions, spirituality and faith in a safe, creative and interactive way. www.prayerspacesinschools.com

The Youth Bible Series

The Bible is the living word of God, eternally relevant and prophetically sharp in 2020 just as it will be for all of time! The Talking Jesus research showed that for 27% of practising Christians, reading the Bible for themselves was a key influence in their coming to faith. We have been working on a brilliant resource to help young people access and engage with the Bible. HOPE Together and The Bible Society have created The Youth Bible Series.

Mark's Gospel

Mark's Gospel, published in partnership with Biblica, is a modern coffee table style magazine for friends, colleagues and family and people visiting your church or Youth group. When 800 non-Christians were asked what kind of bible they wanted to pick up and read, the majority wanted something short, well-designed and contemporary in look and feel. Based on this evidence we've produced this stunning read.

Oikos App

A brand new outreach app that allows you to tag where you have prayed, cared and shared the love of Jesus. Your street, road, lane, home...it starts wherever you are. The tags are saved on the app. You can see where you have been and where others have been too. Be part of a movement to reach the whole nation for Jesus street by street, home by home... to the last home.

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This page is to help resource you and your church to do youth work well in the online and in-person spaces. We have gathered the best missional youth work resources that can help you reach and empower young people missionally.

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Bringing the love of God to young people and the wider community, the Message Buses are state-of-the art mobile youth centres that work across the UK.

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The Message Trust have some great resources to help you engage with the work of The Message and to equip and inspire you for mission.

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WANT TO START SPIRITUAL CONVERSATIONS?

GET YOUNG PEOPLE TALKING

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Join us in our mission to speak the gospel out of every corner of scripture.

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Here you will find a selection of websites which provide useful resources to aid your youth work, most of these contain a selection of games, session plans and talks for you to use

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Here you will find a selection of websites which provide useful resources to aid your youth work, most of these contain a selection of games, session plans and

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Scripture Union - Helping you share Light this halloween. 

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Scripture Union - Helping you share Light this halloween. 

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SU have got some great new resources and further support for you as reach out into your community this Halloween. So take a look at the link above, and find all you need to help share Jesus, the Light of the World, at a time when many are focused on darkness.

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This September, we're running some FREE online training sessions to help you make the most of the opportunity Halloween provides for sharing the light of Jesus in your community.

These sessions will introduce you to the new Jesus is the Light? booklet and talk you through how to use the accompanying In search of Light QR code-scanning trail resource. Come along to find out how this interactive treasure trail could form part of your church's outreach this Halloween, and to get tips, creative ideas and information to help you make the most of this great resource. The session will last around 45 minutes and will run twice with the same content, so choose the time that works best for you.

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Helping you share the light this Halloween

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We've got some great new resources and further support for you as reach out into your community this Halloween. So take a look below, and find all you need to help share Jesus, the Light of the World, at a time when many are focused on darkness.

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Supporting students

This page is for parents, carers, families and significant adults who want to support young people they know who are heading off to university.

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This page is for parents, carers, families and significant adults who want to support young people they know who are heading off to university. Advice for youth leaders who have young people heading off to university is available here. Advice for young people who are about to start as students at university is available here. The following advice can also be downloaded as a handy PDF here. You can also download a prayer for those going to university here.
Top Tips for parents, carers and supportive adults of students going to university!

Keep talking By making sure the lines of communication are kept open, having honest and open conversations beforehand will help your child to know they can talk to you when they're struggling or finding student life a challenge.

Stay in touch Try to have regular times of catching up and hearing how your child is doing. This could be a phone call or 'FaceTime' on a particular day that both of you know works well. Of course it's well worth messaging in between times too just to keep that sense of connection.

Check self-care Sleep, diet and exercise all help to keep us fit and well so learning how to do this alongside studying and socialising are important! It's not just about asking if your child is getting their 5-a-day but finding out how these essentials of wellbeing make a difference to them on a daily basis.

Finding support Take a look at what services and support your child's university offers. Doing this together before they go can help them to feel prepared and informed. If issues arise you both know who you can get in touch with for help or advice.

Take an interest In the whole of your child's university life: their new roommates, lectures, seminars and social time. Find ways to encourage them to share both the highlights and the challenges so they know it's ok to be open and not have to pretend everything is 'fine'.

Grow their independence If your child is finding aspects of university life difficult, it can be easy to feel the need to offer solutions. But for them to make the transition into adulthood it can be more helpful to problem solve with them, supporting them to reach their own conclusions. This builds independence and resilience, learning along the way how to manage issues when they arise and having confidence in themselves to deal with new situations. It could be useful to consider the 'what ifs' and chat through some possible scenarios before they go.

Send care packages Receiving a surprise in the post can give your child a real boost, so whether it's their favourite snack, a voucher for a pizza restaurant, a funny card, it's a way to keep them, their uni life and home connected. It's a reminder that friends and family haven't forgotten them!

Be prayerful Take time to pause and pray for your child in all the new situations and things they find themselves in. See if there are ways to pray together over the phone or during video calls too, it doesn't have to be long but it recognises that God is with you in that moment despite physically being in different locations.

Share this

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This page is for parents, carers, families and significant adults who want to support young people they know who are heading off to university. Advice for youth leaders who have young people heading off to university is available here. Advice for young people who are about to start as students at university is available here.

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Youth Reflections: We have teamed up with the Archbishop of York’s Youth Trust to produce 11 video youth reflections, based on the daily themes of Thy Kingdom Come, from young influential Christians across different spheres of influence.

Contributors include Guvna B (Rapper and Author); Jamie Jones-Buchanan (former professional Rugby League player), Pippa Baker (Catholic Charismatic Renewal); Joshua Luke Smith (Spoken Word Artist) and Elle Limebear (Worship Leader) to name a few.

Alongside each video there is a discussion plan – designed to explore the topic in greater depth - suitable for use in schools, colleges, youth groups and at home.

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Poet and producer Joshua shares about his love for Jesus - God on Earth as man. The example for how we live and how we interact with the world around us. We are walking, talking miracles, that are fearfully and wonderfully made. Jesus stopped and gave time to those who others would seem as unworthy.

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A great selection of exciting new resources for young people. We have our daily reflections done by some brilliant special guests, as well as a brand new Escape Room resource! Join TK the Cat and his cathedral cat friends as they try to solve a mystery before Pentecost Sunday. This interactive escape room allows you to explore all of TK's apps, from SnapCat to FurBook, KitKat to eTail, facing challenges along the way to find all the QR codes to allow the bells to ring at Catterbury Cathedral! Keep an eye on this page for updates.

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Resilience Young People activity sheet

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NUA is all about exploration; videos that encourage questions acknowledge doubt and offer an engaging perspective on the Christian faith. We now have 3 series to choose from aimed at different ages:

The NUA Film Series - Exploring 8 frequently asked questions about the Christian Faith - Aimed at 15+

NUA:Origins - 8 episodes exploring the beginnings of faith - Aimed at 11-14-year-olds

& NUA:Christmas - 3 episodes exploring the meaning of Christmas - Aimed for all ages

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Information leaflet about all-round training for every volunteer youth leader.

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Children & Youth Catalogue

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Hey ministry leaders! So no one ever taught you how to pastor during a pandemic, huh? 😬 We're all in uncharted territory here, but our goal at Stuff You Can Use has always been to hook you up with, well, stuff . . . stuff you can use - even when we're all in quarantine.

So if you're feeling a little overwhelmed or underprepared right now, know that you're not alone! We've created a bunch of resources for you to lean on as you navigate what ministry is going to look like in the upcoming months. From Zoom and TikTok tips, to live trivia tutorials, to conversations about loving our neighbors, we're here to help. So here we go! Let's figure this out together!

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COVID-19 Resources - Grow Youth & Kids Ministry Curriculum

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Hey ministry leaders! So no one ever taught you how to pastor during a pandemic, huh? 😬 We're all in uncharted territory here, but our goal at Stuff You Can Use has always been to hook you up with, well, stuff . . . stuff you can use - even when we're all in quarantine.

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Premier Youth and Children's Work has crossed over to the digital world

We're excited to announce that Premier Youth and Children's Work has switched from print to digital magazine AND will be available every Thursday. Yes, it's now weekly too!

This now brings a whole heap of benefits:

· Read on any digital device of your choice

· The latest in information ensuring the freshest content

· Download and read offline anywhere you want

· Easy navigation

· Instant access - handy when you're looking for quick information

· Enhanced user experience through rich media including animations, images, interactive links, audio, video, shareable content, plus more

Monthly and annual subscriptions, plus the purchase of a single issue, will now be available for our new digital magazine.

All the favourites in the print magazine are sticking around, from features to real life, all-inclusive and our much-loved Q&As. Over the month, you will be able to peruse your favourite columns, including Safeguarding, Toolbox and Mental Health Check, as well as receiving Faith at Home tips and tricks. We will also continue to have those conversations on important subjects affecting our young people today, including mental health, racism, sex, bullying, social media, knife crime and gender identity.

We hope to be able to reach even more people with our digital magazine, ensuring that the next generation comes to know and love Jesus.

You can visit the web app by  clicking here or you can download the app from the Apple store by clicking here or the Google store

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Premier Youth and Children's Work has crossed over to the digital world We're excited to announce that Premier Youth and Children's Work has switched from print to digital magazine AND will be available every Thursday. Yes, it's now weekly too!

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Worship & learning resources for the whole Church

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Taking the twelve disciples a long way north, Jesus wants to know if they have understood who he is yet. In the shadow of empire, they declare him to be king, and he assures them that this confession will help them break the grip of that empire on them and others.

This week we are asked to think about the specialness of Jesus, and what it means for us, not in terms of our privileges, but in terms of our responsibilities. How do we organise ourselves to become a useful part of God's mission in Jesus?

This week we explore having confidence in Jesus.

Scroll down and click on the buttons to find this week's resources.

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Taking the twelve disciples a long way north, Jesus wants to know if they have understood who he is yet. In the shadow of empire, they declare him to be king, and he assures them that this confession will help them break the grip of that empire on them and others.

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Free trail till end June 2021

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After the end of June 2021 you'll have the option to keep getting ROOTS at home by email, for £3 per month. We'll contact you about that in June.
Who is in your household?
This will help us to plan future resources.

We take the safety of your personal data very seriously. We never sell information to third parties. To find out how we store your information, please see our privacy policy.

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ROOTS is a partnership of denominations and Christian organisations. www.rootsontheweb.com

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After the end of June 2021 you'll have the option to keep getting ROOTS at home by email, for £3 per month. We'll contact you about that in June. Who is in your household? This will help us to plan future resources. We take the safety of your personal data very seriously.

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Youth Ministry Resources

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After ten years as a youth pastor and speaker, Ben joined Jay at Alpha Canada to create and host the Alpha Youth Series. He currently devotes his time to coaching youth workers, speaking, and creating content to help make faith come alive for youth, kids, and adults.

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Welcome to Renew Normal – a book of ten theological reflective exercises for youth leaders. This booklet is designed to help you reflect on a year of youth ministry in a COVID-19 world and dream of what the future might look like as you step into a ‘renewed’ normal.

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Collection of books on a variety of topics including Youth

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At Grove Books, we aim to stimulate and equip Christian community by providing clear and concise explorations of Christian living and ministry.

Sign up to receive monthly emails about new titles together with our legendary jokes and quotations.

Subscribe to a booklet series to save 30%. Save 5%, 10% or 15% by buying 5, 10 or 15 booklets. All orders sent post-free in the UK.

Subscribe to a booklet series to save 30%. Save 5%, 10% or 15% by buying 5, 10 or 15 booklets. All orders sent post-free in the UK.

Watch Grove chair, Richard Steel, discussing the Grove ethos.

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Grove Books - books to stimulate and equip the Christian community

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At Grove Books, we aim to stimulate and equip Christian community by providing clear and concise explorations of Christian living and ministry. Sign up to receive monthly emails about new titles together with our legendary jokes and quotations. Subscribe to a booklet series to save 30%.

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Changing Church
Is the ‘missing generation’ still missing?

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Youth Work Support.
If working within the Church of Scotland - these guidelines must be adhered too.
While Coronavirus restrictions are changing all the time, you may find that online youth ministry is still the best option for your church/group.  On this page, you find will both guidelines and policy documents for working safely with young people online, as well as ideas and resources for online youth ministry

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You will need to have Zoom set up so that anyone can use the share screen setting. Consider preparing a list of words or phrases to get the game started, perhaps based around your session's theme.
One player shares their screen, then selects the whiteboard. They share the whiteboard feature so everyone can see it, and use Zoom's annotation tools to draw out the Hangman setup, drawing a series of dashes to indicate how many letters are in the word.

Each player takes turns guessing a vowel or consonant. If the guess is correct the first player fills in the relevant spaces. If the guess is incorrect, then the first player writes the letter at the side and draws part of the hangman scaffold or body. The winner is the first person to correctly guess the full word or phrase before the full hangman is drawn out.
You will need: Hands!
Almost everyone knows how to play rock, paper, scissors: You count to three while waving your hand so everyone can see it, and on three, each person simultaneously motions 'rock' (a fist), 'paper' (hands flat) or 'scissors' (making a snipping motion with two fingers). Paper beats rock, scissors beat paper and rock beats scissors. But how do you play it as a group over Zoom? Here's two suggestions:

1. Each player has three lives. Choose one person to be 'it'and everyone else has to try and beat their choice of rock, paper, scissors. Everyone says '1,2,3' together and then plays their choice of hand motion. If the person who is 'it' plays 'rock' then everyone who plays 'scissors' loses a life. If someone plays 'paper', beating the person who is 'it', then it is their turn to be 'it'. (If more than one person beats 'it' then choose just one of them to be the new 'it'.)

2. Play as a group. Everyone says '1,2,3' together and then plays their choice of hand motion. In this version there are two ways of winning.

1. The first is where only two hand motions are played, e.g. half the group plays 'rock' and half the group plays 'scissors'. Everyone who played 'rock' are winners of that round, and the 'scissors' players are 'out'.

2. If all three hand motions are played, then the largest group of players win e.g if you have 6 players, and 3 play 'rock', 2 play 'scissors' and 1 plays 'paper', then the 'rocks' win. Everyone else is out. (You could also 'flip' this rule to make it more competitive, so that the least played motion is the winner. E.g. if you have 6 players, and 3 play 'rock', 2 play 'scissors' and 1 plays 'paper', then 'paper' wins.)

Encourage everyone to wave their hand clearly in front of their cameras. In both versions, the winner is the last person remaining.

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You will need to have Zoom set up so that anyone can use the share screen setting. Consider preparing a list of words or phrases to get the game started, perhaps based around your session's theme. One player shares their screen, then selects the whiteboard.

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‘I Will Build My Church …on Minecraft?!’ Creating Quality Time Online

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Blob Tree communication tools (paid resource)

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Qty available: -1037

Blob Tree

7 digital download versions to choose from (each version is priced individually)

Choose your version from the drop down menu above

Digital downloads will sent to your inbox.
* the purchased image comes without watermark and in full resolution * remember to add your free Blob Tools Guide to your shopping cart

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Blob Tree 7 digital download versions to choose from (each version is priced individually) Choose your version from the drop down menu above Digital downloads will sent to your inbox.

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A video series to run in tandem with the series for adults, to help young people go on the same Wellbeing Journey. Filmed from the perspective of four young people, we are excited to see lots more join them and discover more of God’s plan for their own wellbeing.

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The Wellbeing Journey | The Wellbeing Journey is a new series for churches, exploring holistic wellness: body, mind and spirit.

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By young people, for young people

The Youth Wellbeing Journey is by young people for young people! We have created a video series to run in tandem with the series for adults, to help young people go on the same Wellbeing Journey. Filmed from the perspective of four young people, we are excited to see lots more join them and discover more of God's plan for their own wellbeing.

Every episode is a journey. There is a journey to a physical location; a journey to overcome challenges and a journey through content, all based around the six areas of wellbeing: physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, financial, and vocational wellbeing.

Each of the young people faces a series of challenges as they go on their Wellbeing Journey. The challenge format was created by The Way Studios in order that young people taking part in the journey travel with others.

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YouthWellbeingJourney By young people, for young peopleThe Youth Wellbeing Journey is by young people for young people! We have created a video series to run in tandem with the series for adults, to help young people go on the same Wellbeing Journey. Filmed from the perspective of four young people, we are excited to see [...]

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We want to help equip youth leaders across the UK at this time and have created tools to help you take your Alpha online.
Sign up below for an online Alpha Youth training workshop which is taking place on the first Thursday of every month. Pick one which works best for you, or attend a few.
Thurs 4th June at 2.30pm

Thurs 2nd Jul at 2.30pm

Thurs 6th Aug at 2.30pm

Thurs 3rd Sept at 2.30pm

Thurs 1st Oct at 2.30pm

Thurs 5th Nov at 2.30pm

Thurs 3rd Dec at 2.30pm

Our mission remains the same - to serve the church in its mission to help people discover Jesus.

We are praying for you and we are here to serve, listen, and pray as you discern the best way to make Jesus known to the students in your community during this season. We are encouraging all churches and groups to follow the guidelines mandated by the public health authorities in their region.

As always, the latest resources and tools to help you run Alpha are available on My Alpha, when you register your course. This includes all the episodes of the Alpha Youth Series - a relevant introduction to the basics of the Christian faith, designed to engage and inspire young people.

You will need:

The Zoom app

It's free to download but we'd recommend the paid subscription version that can host meetings longer than 40 minutes.
(Though other apps could work as well, Zoom is our #1 choice, especially for groups of more than 12 people). Zoom has a number of great tutorials to help you get it all figured out!

A solid internet connection

You can share your screen and play the episode - it works much better when the episode is downloaded first.

The Discussion Guide

Have the Discussion Guide handy with questions sent beforehand to your hosts and helpers.

Get prepared:

Pray

Thankfully, the presence and power of God is not bound by social distancing or digital interfaces! Pray for all aspects of your Alpha, and try and find ways to join other youth workers to pray together.!

Build a team

There is more information available on what new roles you will need to fill. One thing to consider if how to empower young people to be hosts and helpers on your Alpha.

Reach out

While many of us are thinking through the question of how we can stay connected to the students already in our ministry, a GREAT question is how can we use this situation as a way to reach out to those who don't yet know God?

Check out some more tips for running Alpha online for young people...

Guide: Running Alpha Youth online

For more tips on online hospitality, prayer ministry, and how to do the Alpha Weekend, download this guide. It was created by our friends at Alpha Canada, but the ideas and suggestions apply just as well here in the UK!

Tips for using Zoom

We'd encourage you to use the video conferencing tool that works best for you! Here's a quick guide to using Zoom to run your online course.

Find out more about how to run Alpha online

We're in this together

In this unprecedented and difficult time we are praying for you and your guests. We would love to hear about any innovative ideas for how we can all continue to share the gospel and God's love at this time. Please do follow us @alphacourseuk to share your stories and stay up to date.

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Alpha Youth Online - Got Questions - Try Alpha

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Sign up below for an online Alpha Youth training workshop which is taking place on the first Thursday of every month. Pick one which works best for you, or attend a few.

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Urban Saints | Who is discipling our young people?

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Urban Saints | Who is discipling our young people?

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Since 1906 Urban Saints (and formerly Crusaders) has been committed to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to thousands of children and young people across the UK and Ireland - primarily through the passion and commitment of tens of thousands of trained and resourced volunteers running outreach groups.

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Innovative youth work, born in Luton, delivered everywhere